PINEVILLE, La. (AP) _ Two students were barred from class in central Louisiana after wearing jackets that featured a photo of President-elect Barack Obama.
Responding to a complaint from their mother, the principal of Pineville Junior High School said the same guidelines have been applied for years against oversize photos on students’ clothing and that the decision had nothing to do with Obama.
Tanya Marshall said her children were not allowed to be in the classroom Monday because the jackets were deemed too distracting for school. Marshall said her three children got the jackets, which also include a U.S. flag, over the Thanksgiving holiday from an uncle who is serving in Iraq.
Her child who attends Pineville High School did not get in trouble for wearing the jacket to that school.
“Our country has been through a lot. We have over 4,500 troops who’ve died in the war, and it’s just wrong to tell them they can’t wear a jacket,” Marshall said. “I really believe my kids’ rights are being violated.”
Marshall said she has spoken with Principal Columbus Goodman but did not get an answer about why the jackets are distracting. She said she will appeal the case to the parish school superintendent.
The principal said the issue with the jackets is the size of the Obama photo, which covers the entire back of the jacket. Goodman said the same guidelines have been applied for years for clothing with any type of oversized picture.
“It has nothing to do with the president, it’s just a picture,” Goodman said.
Marshall said the student code of conduct is vague on the issue and is not being applied to all students the same way.
“I would understand fully if there was something on the jackets symbolizing gang-related stuff, drugs or violence,” Marshall said. “I read the handbook before I even allowed them to wear the jackets.”
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